the Marathon of the North

lily of the valley wrote (see)

Hi Shielsy, welcome to the thread sounded like your first marathon experience was good, that's great. I ran Manchester last year and after planning only ever to run one mara I have now booked 2 for this year! How is your training going? I am not sure about the answers to your questions but I have a feeling we get sent the info, number etc. Would love to know abou the toilets too Hopefully someone else can answer your question.

Thanks for the welcome lily (and Adrian).

My training is going ok I suppose (though the horrible winter we had/are still experiencing has had a bit of an affect on it).  I ran 15 miles on my long run at the weekend. It wasn't too bad though I was tired by the end and did wonder where the heck I was going to summon another 11 miles from  ... but I just keep telling myself I've done it before so I can do it again, if I can stay injury-free.

I must go out and get some gels before this weekend ... I've been managing without fuelling so far, but now the miles are creeping up it's going to take more than a swig of water and a couple of gummy bears to see me through.  I like High5 gels.

I'm looking forward to getting the race pack and seeing the route.

Welcome Shielsy, 15 miles is still good at this stage so well done on that. You'll get details soon in the post and if last year was anything to go by then the organisation all round will be great so don't worry. I heard there was a new route this year making it a bit flatter & quicker. Hope this is true.

Just getting over my flu now  & hope it hasn't taken too much out of me. Typical, the minute I click to entre the race, I get ill!!

Just trying to build up some milage now and try a couple of 15 miles plus runs in the next few weeks.

Thanks DaveClaret - sorry to hear you've had the 'flu.  That's the trouble about training for a big event ... you get paranoid about any niggle or cough.

Hills session tonight with my club - running up and down a local hill 12 times.  I didn't go 'eyeballs out' as I've got the Royal Signals Road Relays at the weekend, but still a reasonably hard pace of 8.24 m/m.

6.5 miles in total with the warm up and cool down.

Hope you are feeling better Dave. Thanks for extra info Adrian. Sounds like training going well Shielsy hope everyone else getting on ok. I am more or less sticking to my plan. Just back from a 14.6 mile run...took me just under 2hrs 50 so I am pleased as had given myself 3hrs! It is cold here but not windy or rainy. I had my i pod but still find these long runs hard! I am exhausted but happy. I used dextrose tablets on the run and perhaps did not quite take enough water with me. Half term next week, down to visit parents in Dorset and working so just don't know if I can fit all my runs in. Someone once told me if you have a week like that to try to at least do your long run. Must go as off to dentist (just finished my jelly beans and cola first!)

I ran the MOTN as my first road marathon (Also ran at Kielder the year before as my first marathon). It was a fabulous day and one of those days were everything just seemed to go right for me. It will be a day that I always remember.

Being trying to make up my mind where to run a marathon this year.Manchester had been a possibility as it seemed to be a flatter course. It looks as though the MOTN team have changed the course, so I more tempted to have another try. I live in Washington, so it just down the road from me as well.

After a bad spell over Christmas I am now training again and have managed to get in 6 decent weeks of training this year. I am running about 50 to 60 miles a week at the moment and I am now starting to build in more speed work. Enjoying the training and the long runs on a Saturday morning. Not enjoying the speed work quite so much

Does anyone know much about the new route. I have had a look on the website but it does not really give that much information about the changes. The profile does look a little easier than last year.

9 miles ran in a bizzard.  Unpleasant for a large part of the time (with little pockets of 'Oh, this isn't so bad' before the wind got up again).

poor you Shielsy, that shows real commitment Tim, I ran Manchester as my first marathon last year. The course has changed and they are leaving out Dunham Massey park and other bits like the underpass this year! These bits added some variety to the course! The support was fantastic, even on a hideous day and for someone like me who was still running after 5 hours! There is a good thread about Manc over on the events forum. Good luck with your decisions.

Thanks Lily. I am 99% sure I am will be running MOTN again. Day of running today thankfully as it is nasty out there tonight.

Tim - I live in Sunderland but have declined the full marathon this year and decided to do the half. The first half has improved by being a bit more straightforward, instead of going to Hendon beach promenade (very run down) it does basically the same route but on the very bottom of the map you will a hairpin turn. This is running south on a tree lined duel carriage then turning back north on the other carriageway so you can those behind you!

The main changes are to the second half of the route. Last year you will remember running along the seafront after leaving the SOL for the second time. Well this year after leaving the SOL you run to our  “glass centre museum” down to the river. Do a loop round the glass centre which includes a steep bank! You arrive on the seafront and run along the promenade to the most northerly point. Then you return on the roads heading south, cutting inland twice through two nice residential areas and a park.

Hope this helps.

Tim - sorry I just realised from your picture that your a stroller, but the route does look much better.

Cheers Roball I was a Stroller. I do not have time to make it club nights so I am not a member of any running club now. Thanks for heads up on the changed course. I did not know that level of detail for the changes. Running down to the glass centre is a nice area to run in. So you have sold it to me Looks like I am 100% MOTN entrant.

Continuing with trying to get some speed work built in to to my training tonight. With 10 by 800 metres with a warm and cool down either side. Not got access to a track so just hope the ice and snow have melted from the pavements by tonight. 

that's great Tim hope you managed your road run ok. Lots of people cannot believe I run in the snow, ice etc but if I didn't I would never have got going on my 16 week plan! After my long run on Weds I am resting for a couple of days though due to have long walk on Yorshire Moors or Dales tomorrow and will run again on Sunday. Legs feel ok after Weds, I was concerned as had not stretched much afterwards due to dashing to dentist appt. Hope everyone else ok?

Hi Lily,

I was on the Cleveland Way running on a snow covered traill earlier in  the week. So hope you enjoy your walk. running home from work tonight and then a LSR tomorrow morning.

hope your ankle better Adrian, great you are happy with your times I did an arduous 10 mile walk with hubby yesterday in the Dales. Surprised how tough I found it. Think it is easier to run that distance. Went for early morning 7 miles today so actually have run 5 times this week and my plan says 4! Won't be so easy this week as away in Dorset and then working but will take my gear with me and do my LSR on Saturday. Hope sunshine continues!

Afternoon everyone.

A bit of a busy weekend for me: on Saturday our club was competing in The Royal Signals Road Relays (makes a nice change from cross country) at Hetton Le Hole.  This meant teams of 4, with 2 loops each round a very nice lake (2.22 miles per runner) with a couple of draggy hills thrown in.  For once it was a beautiful day and the atmosphere was great.

My club's women's team got the gold medal for first place, our our women's Vet team (my team) took the silver.

Then yesterday it was another beautiful (if cold) day so it was 16 miles for me.  I didn't find it too bad, but yesterday evening I was absolutely shattered.

No running today (it would be difficult as I've a 12 hour shift in work) and then it all starts again tomorrow .

Roll on May.